Automatic gun.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 19H6 A. BUBGESS.

SHETS-SHBET 2 wh/reabre@ UNITED orages PATENT OFFICE.

VSpecication of Letters Patent.

ratenteci J une 5, 1906.

Application filed Nuvemberal 1904. Serial No. 231,279.

'To all whom. 1315 rat/Ly concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW Bimenes, a

.citizen of the United States, residing at Owego, in the county of Tioga, and State of New York, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Automatic Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic guns.

The object of the invention is to make an automatic gun or? pistol which is compact, convenient, and safe to carry in a holster or pocket.

The invention consists of certain improved constructions and combinations whereby anautomaticallyfopening gun can be controlled as to movement of barrel and breech; also ofVV means to bring the barrel openin and cocking mechanism into such interre ation 'that one may on occasion control the other; also n to improve the barrel-mount; also to improve i i the firing mecllani'snfiI and to place the'opera- Y y, Fig. 2z looking downward. Fig. 5 is a sec-- tion on line x an. Fig. 2. Fi 6 is a brokerrdetail, partly in elevation an partly insection', of the inertia-brake or `barrel-retarder modified. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan of the barrel,

hammer, and mainspring. Fig. 8 is a brokenV detail elevation of a portion of aviiexible m azine.V Fig. 9 is a View of a modification of t e barrel, tri ger, and Sear. Fig. 1U is a longitudinai section of the iront portion of a barrel contracted forward. Figs.l i1, 12, and 13 are different views of a caliber-reducing mechanism for the front of the gun.

Let 1| indicate the frame of a gun, which may have af pistol-stock 2 or any other approved stock. The frame 1', with the stock, contains moet of the movable parte ofthe wea on.

The barrebcaein 3 is a metallic she l, which is preferably attac ed in removable manner to the frame. In Fig. 2 the barrel-casing 3 has a rearward extenslon Al'from'its lower sur- V'presses the pin 9 outwardly face, and this extension 4 enters a recess 5 in the frame when the casin f is in place thereon. The barrel-casing bore from the rear with an opening at the iront through which the front ortion ci" the barrel slides. The rear end o` the casing is closed by a removable piece 30. The barrel and casing are held against forward movement by a in or catch 300 in the frame passin throng a notch in the casing, as Shown in ig. 1

At the front ofthe barrel-casing there is a rigid downwardly-projecting lug 6, in which there'is a recess or de ression. An opening in the frame, preferab y of cylindrical form, contains a coiled ASprln 8, which spring into the recess or de ression in the lug 6, thus holding the barre -cas'ing locked to the frame.

When it is desired to`rernove theberrelcasio Vtrom the frame, in 9 mav be drawn back y the thumb and iinger of the operator taking hold of in 12, which projects from pin 9 through s ots in the side of the frame.

The pinQ thus acts as a s ring-bolt to hold the barrel-casing locked to t -1e frame when desirable, and the said casing and barrel can be readily removed.

A small amount of lon itndinal movement may be permitted to t e barrel-casin by leaving a space between lug 6 and the ront endof the frame and between the rear of said casing and an abutment 7 on the rame.- TheVY spring-pressed pin 'will hold the barrel-casV and these wing 16 enter grooves 17, made inl Vthe barrel-Casin r to receive them.

(See Figs 2, 3, and 5.) he barrel haseV shoulderl, against which' sprin 20 bears to close the breeeijsaid spring avin its front bearing against the casino'. The arrel is opened in firing by Vthe friction and Aimpulse of the charge in passin through its bore.

The breech-piece 30 is preferably screwed tiaiece'an into the barrel-casin and contains firing-pin 31, when such is usef With a short barrel it often happens that the friction of the bullet is not great enough to fully o en the barrel on firin or it may happen t at a pistolwhich wor s perfectly with one kind of ammunition will not operate with a different ammunition. To insure that the barrel shall offer enough resistance to the bullet or charge to secure 1ts opening, I 'may make the barrel with a sli htly-ta ered bore, as indicated in Fig. 10. referab y the taper may be formed b the lands 21 increasing in height towar the muzzle of the n, the grooves 22 being of uniform caliber lblm rear to front, although this is not essentia The contraction in the bore ma be made adjustable. A convenient means or adjustment is'to provide the outside of the barrel near the muzzle with a ta ered portion 28, which portion is external y screw-threaded and longitudinally slotted. A tapered screwthreaded sleeve 24, applied to this tapered portion of the barrel, will compress the same to a greater or less extent as the sleeve is screwed on. Means is thus provided for regulatin the amount of friction which a assing bu let may have on the barrel, an the gun is thus adapted for use with various inds of ammunition.

It is desirable to check the rapidity of the return-barrel movement undef someconditions, so that the magazine may have time to feed a cartridge into the barrel. For the purpose of insuring sufiicient time for the cartridge-feed, I provide an inertia-check piece 83, havin a heavy lower portion which 1s pivoted in t e frame at 34 Fig. 2. This piece 33 has a rear arm 35, which is inclined downwardly and rearwardly.y A lug 39 on the barrel encounters this inclined arm during the forward movement of the barrel and forces said arm down, thus ropking the inertia-piece against the resistance of its own inertia, and' also the resistance of spring 34', which spring is interposed between the inerthe frame.

e rocking down of arm 35'rocks up arm 36, which extendsinto the path of movement of and behind lug 38 on the barrel. The inertiaiece thus acts as a frictional brake or retar er as well as an inertia detaining or controlling piece during the final openin and the beginning of the closing movement o the barrel. The engagementA of a projection on the barrel rocks the inertia-piece into position to be engaged by another projection as the barrel returns.

Fi 6 shows a modification of the inertia- 'chec in which but one spring-arm is used.

The heavy ortion 33 extends below and is pivotedto t e frame as before, The springarm or ,ly 200 is hung rearward of the seaux pivot 34 to sprin u against the bottom of the barrel or breec -c osm element, as shown in Fig. 6, in which figure t e breech has been .fully oplened and the pro'ection 201 on the barrel as engaged the y 200, turning its point downward, so sai projectioncan ride over it.

As soon as the projection 201 passes the fly, as shown, said ily will be instantlly; turned up by its spring to then be in the pat of the return movement of said projection 201 which will then check the closing of the breech, while the heavy part 38 is bein moved, and the ilyA is turned below the pat of movement of projection A201. I show the inertia-check applied to a sliding barrel; but itis obviously applicable in a like and uivalent manner to any other known s iding breech mechanism.

In my patent N o. 666,084 of January 15, 1901, I show and describe an inertia-piece ar- -ranged to hold the barrel in its closedV position at the instant of, xin This is quite different in function from t e present invention, in which an inertia-piece checks or retards the movement of the barrelwhen the breech is open, so as to 4give more time for the cartrid e movement. j

l The ever 40, pivoted in the frame and engaged by the shoulder 19 on the barrel, and the enlar 'ed portion of the barrel in rear of said shou der serves to swing the front of the magazine into feeding position when the barrel 1s forward.

I provide a safety-paw] 42, i li'voited in the l casin and having its fin er-p ece extendin outsi e. This pawl can lie turned by han and is calculated to remain in the position in which it is placed, being held by friction.

IOO-

The barrel has a notch 44' mits lower surface.

The barrel can be drawn forward a little wa .and this pawl 42 swung so as to enter` t e notch, and thus hold the barrel forward, so ythat an accidental blow on the firingin will not ex lode a cartrid e contained in t e barrel. lgfhen the barrelgis drawn fully forward, the pawl 42 can be swung so as to present its nose behind the barrel, and thushold the breech open for loading or inspection.

,The hammer which I refer is a reciproeating hammer which slides in a groove in the slde of the frame and is cocked by a forward movement. Such a hammer is shown at 45. The hammer is cocked (by hand for the first shot) by ressing forward on the thumb-piece 46, t us compressin mainsprin 47. Adog48,pivoted to the ammer, may e swung into notch 49 in the frame when the hammer has been pressed a little 'way forward and will act as a half-cock sear.

The dog 48 may be pressed into notch 49 by a light sprin .480. The backward movementof the 'animer-is not interrupted by such dog when the hammer strikesas the IIO from and having arear extension entering a as cartridges are pressed back into the magazine-tube. w

In the modification in Fig. 3 the magazine 801 is pressed back against the resistance of spring 82 and a pin 100, pressed down by spring 101, enters a hole 103 in the magari, tube.` This spring-pressed pin thus tohold the magazine back and also serves s;- a cartridge-stop.

The mouth ofthe magazine is inclined, and when the barrel moves baci( the lower part of the barrel engages the magazine and rocks it down, reieasing it from in 100. When the magazine swings down, t e abutment 99 on the frame serves as acartridgestop for the ma azine. When it swings up, if the rear-of the arrel be open in front of the magazine, the'front cartridge moves into the barrel. If there be a cartridge or shell in the barrel, the magazine does not feed.

An extractor of usual form for this class oi guns holds the fired shell against the breechpiece 30 as the barrel moves forward, and the rocking of the magazine under impulse of lever 40 serves to eject such shell through a hole in the top of the casing and move the magazine to feeding position.

I claim- 1. `In an automatic gun, the combination of a frame, a barrel-casing removable there- F l g l recess in the frame, a catch for retaining said casing, and a barrel, and barrel-moving spring, substantially inclosed and reciprocatino in-said casing, ali combined.

2. 'n an automatic gun, the frame, a barrel-casing having a limited longitudinal movement thereon, a barrel and its sprin substantiallv inclosed in said casing, a recoi piece carried by the .front of the casmg, and a recoil-abutment on the frame to stop the rear of said casing.

3. The combination in an automatic gun, of a longitudinally reciprocating barrel moved forward by the friction of the charge and having a reduced caliber or choke-bore at the muzzle, a barrel casing having a breechpiece in rear of the barrel, and a sprin adapted to close the barrel against the breec -piece 4. The combination, in an automatic gun, of aframe and barrel casing, a longitudinally reciprocating barrel, means for closing the barrel rearwardly in the casingl and means for :adjusting the muzzle-caliber ol' the bore of the barrel, so as to cause inorc or less friction on the bullet.

5. The combination ol" a barrel guided to longitudinal movement on thc frame and sliding forward under the impulse of the char e,'a spring to return the barrel rearwar and compression-sleeve a plied to the muzzle of the barrel to reduce t e caliber thereof.

esenti ln an automatic gun, mechanism arranged to open the breech under the impulse of iiring, and. an inertia-piece arranged to rctard the tirst closing movement oi tinI breekbclosing element.

T. ln an automatic gun, the combination with a longitudinally-reciprocating breech- :ipening element, of an inertia-piece engaged 1y the said element at the close of its opel-1- mg and beginning of its return movement, and acting as a brake and retarder.

8. ln an automatic gun, the frame havin a pivotcd inertia-piece therein, and provided with a plurality of arms in different planes, a breech havin a projection in position to engage with eac 1 arm, and a spring to close the reecli, whereby thc longitudinal movement of the breech brings its projections into successive engagement with the arms of the inertia-piece, thus retarding the breech.

9, In an automatic un, the combination of a longitudinally-Shing barrel, having a notch therein, of a paw] on the frame adapted to swing into the notch and hold the barrel slightly forward, and means actuated bj, thecocking of hammer to release said pawl.

10. In an automatic gun, the comblnatiox of a longitudinally-sliding barrel, a -pawl enaging said barrel to hold it o en, and a animer which engages said paw during its movement and releases the barrel.

11. In a gun, the combination of a hammer which is cocked by sliding longitudinally forward, said hammer being pressed back by a spring, a ring-pin in rear of the cartridge, and a lever interposed between the hammer and i'iringin and free from both,whereb v the` hammer-b ow drives the ring-pin forward.

12. In an automatic gun, the frame having a groove in its side, a hammer sliding forward in said grooveand having a thumbpiece which may be pressed by the thumb of the hand while grasping thestock, a trigger and sear for holding the hammer cocked, and means for converting the backward blow of the hammer into a forward blow against the cartridge.

1,3. In a iirearm, the combination of ahammer, a trigger, a scar pivoted on the trigger, and a spring-actuated coupling-piece ivoted to the trigger, and' acting to bring t e Sear and trigger into ri-id relation, and a movin part released by the pul of the trigger and acting to uneouple said parts. l

14. In' a. ma azineun, a magazine com posed in part o a rigi tube, and in part of a iiexible tube, and means for flexing the flexible portion of the tube to the desired curvature.

v 15. ln a magazine-gun, a magazine-tube movably pivoted in the stock and havin a hole therein, a spring pressing said tube 0rward, and a movabie catch 1n the frame in position to enter the hole in-the magazinetube mld hold the tube against he pressure In testimony whereof I ax my signature of the slaid spring, x b1 igpresen af two Witnsses,

16. n a, ma, azinen, a :nova e ma, azine-tube havingg a. holegherein, and a sprig ANDREW BURGESS' 5 catch in the frame. in position to enter said Witnesses:

hole and serve as a cartridgestop when the W. A. BARTLETT, magazine is in one of its posltioxgs. E. H. PABKINS. 

